The GCC market gets the 7-seater Mazda CX-9, but the rest of the world also gets a shorter and sportier 5-seater CX-7 model. And that CX-7 has already reached the point where it needed a facelift to stay fresh, so the 2010 model gets a smiley new face to go with a new engine choice.
Aston Martin made a big deal out of reviving their dormant Lagonda nameplate, to be slapped onto a new set of luxury models. At the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, it turns out their first model will be a crossover SUV, as hinted by this concept. While no one ever asked for an Aston Martin SUV, it looks set to become a hall-of-shame hit alongside the likes of best-sellers such as the Porsche Cayenne and the BMW X6.
We got a Veba parking sensor kit installed by our product partners Yellow Hat on our 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee. This generation of the midsize Jeep did not get factory-installed reverse sensors until 2004, but this Jeep has decent enough all-round visibility to not really need extra help. But we got the provided system installed anyway, and wanted to highlight the dangers of high 4×4 vehicles on city streets.
If you are in Oman on the 5th of March, visit the Bentley travelling museum, where a rare collection of vintage and recent Bentley models will be displayed at the Al Bandar Hotel in Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa.
The Geneva Auto Show is one of Europe’s major motor shows, if not the world. This year, even with the recession, there are an obscene number of supercar launches, although a few others have concentrated on greener cars as well. The 2009 show also plays host to some important new launches, such as the Mazda 3 MPS, the Chevrolet Spark, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe and the Opel Ampera.
I am tired of Lamborghini rehashing their same old cars and tacking on ever-longer random words to the badge. If you are interested in their latest re-creation for the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, read their press release.
Volkswagen is unveiling the 2010 version of their Polo sub-compact hatchback at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show. It is a complete makeover, although the exterior and interior will be very familiar to any VW owner. The most prominent feature is the undistinguished new corporate face.
The American Chevrolet Volt has already been revealed, not quite ready, but confirming its final form when it does hit production in 2010. Now Opel, GM’s European arm, has revealed its own version of the Volt, calling it the Opel Ampera. While the play on the name is amusing, what is more interesting is the Ampera, just like the Volt, claims an electric-only range of 60 km, with a total range of 500 km aided by a small petrol engine.
Mercedes-Benz has revealed that they are working on a new supercar called the SLS AMG. Announced at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, the German manufacturer has confirmed that the car will feature gullwing doors similar to the classic 1950s 300SL, which eventually evolved into today’s SL-Class.
After ages spent on the waiting list, we finally got our hands on a BMW X6. The version home-delivered to us also happened to be the xDrive50i version, powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, if we remember correctly. BMW’s new naming convention is too confusing. Either way, we managed to park it right next to some random X5, so the differences between the two models became all the more clearer. And thus began our test of the loved/hated X6, both on-road and off-road.